Sunday 14 December 2025 (other days)
3rd Sunday of Advent
Using calendar: England - Portsmouth - Hampshire - Winchester. You can change this.
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Liturgical Colour: Rose or Violet. Year: A(II).
| First reading |
|---|
| Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 |
‘God himself will come and save you.’
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
‘Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Sion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
| Responsorial Psalm |
|---|
| Ps 146(145):6c-7. 8-9a. 9b-10. ℟ Matthew 5:3 |
Come, Lord, and save us.
or: Alleluia.
It is the Lord who preserves fidelity for ever,
who does justice to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord who sets prisoners free.
Come, Lord, and save us.
or: Alleluia.
The Lord who opens the eyes of the blind,
the Lord who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the Lord who loves the just,
the Lord who protects the stranger.
Come, Lord, and save us.
or: Alleluia.
The Lord upholds the orphan and the widow,
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
your God, O Sion, from age to age.
Come, Lord, and save us.
or: Alleluia.
| Second reading | James 5:7-10 |
|---|
‘Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.’
Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
| Gospel Acclamation |
|---|
| Isaiah 61:1 (Luke 4:18) |
Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
he has sent me to proclaim good news to the poor.
Alleluia.
| Gospel | Matthew 11:2-11 |
|---|
‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’
At that time: When John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’
And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
‘What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.”
‘Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.’
You can also view this page with the New Testament in Greek and English.
Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 14 to 20 December
The rose vestments on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. The beginning of the final countdown to Christmas. The ancient O Antiphons. The Latin hymns, and our project to record them. (15 minutes)
Episode notes.
Christian Art
Each day, The Christian Art website gives a picture and reflection on the Gospel of the day.
The readings on this page are from the English Standard Version, which is used at Mass in Great Britain. The Jerusalem Bible (which is used at Mass in much of the English-speaking world) will appear instead if you set this page to use a calendar from outside Great Britain. The New American Bible readings, which are used at Mass in the United States, are available in the Universalis apps, programs and downloads.
